Department of State (DOS)

The Department of State (DOS) actively participates in the NNI in order to identify and promote multilateral and bilateral scientific activities that support U.S. foreign policy objectives, protect national security interests, advance economic interests, and foster environmental protection. International scientific collaboration enhances existing U.S. research, development, and innovation programs. Nanotechnology's enormous potential to address global challenges relating to water, health, and energy renders it an ideal subject for collaboration on pre-competitive and non-competitive research.

DOS assists NNI member agencies to establish partnerships with counterpart institutions abroad by holding regular joint committee meetings with representatives from over forty countries. These meetings are governed by binding science and technology agreements that facilitate exchange of scientific results, provide for protection and allocation of intellectual property rights and benefit sharing, facilitate access for researchers, address taxation issues, and respond to the complex set of issues associated with economic development, domestic security, and regional stability.

More broadly, through chairmanship of the NSET Subcommittee's Global Issues in Nanotechnology (GIN) Working Group, DOS coordinates U.S. Federal Government interactions with foreign governments and multilateral institutions to foster mutually beneficial cooperation on nanoscale science and technology, to develop an international marketplace for nanotechnology products and ideas, and to establish a framework for the safe, secure, and responsible use of nanotechnology. DOS also leads efforts in the Working Party on Nanotechnology (WPN) of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM), and other international organizations to communicate these precepts globally to key policymakers and stakeholders.